Dr. Laura Inno: Comet Interceptor Mission, ESA (European Space Agency) | EXOQUEST Archives

EXOQUEST Archives: The science-based search for interstellar artifacts and the origins of the universe.

We sit down with Dr. Laura Inno to discuss the European Space Agency (ESA) Comet Interceptor mission. Unlike previous missions that orbited known comets, the Interceptor is designed to wait in "hibernation" at the L2 Lagrange point for a pristine, long-period target from the Oort Cloud or a truly interstellar object.

NOTE: This previously unreleased EXOQUEST interview with Dr. Laura Inno was taped late 2024, prior to Vera Rubin Observatory's first light, and 3I/ATLAS crossing our solar system.

We deep-dive into the HOW: exploring the mechanics of a high-velocity fly-by where relative speeds can exceed 80 km/s and the mission’s unique 3D mapping strategy using a primary spacecraft and two smaller probes. Dr. Inno explains how this mission, in partnership with the Vera Rubin Observatory, aims to capture a "fossil" from the proto-planetary disc to solve the mystery of how water and organic compounds were delivered to Earth.

KEY TOPICS COVERED:

Mission Profile: The transition from the Rosetta orbiter legacy to the high-velocity Comet Interceptor fly-by.

Primordial Fossils: Why long-period comets from the Oort Cloud provide an unaltered record of our solar system’s formation.

The Origin of Life: Investigating the "iceberg" theory of how comets may have delivered Earth's oceans and organic building blocks.

Technical Constraints: The challenge of 3D mapping a moving target from three different points of view simultaneously.

Interstellar Potential: The mission’s priority to intercept another 'Oumuamua-like visitor if one enters the solar system.

Curious. Rigorous. Unafraid.

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00:00 – Introduction: The ESA Comet Interceptor "Fly-By" Mission
00:46 – The Rosetta Mission Legacy: ESA's First Comet Orbiter
03:00 – The Philae Lander: Challenges of Landing in Low Gravity
06:28 – Comets as Fossils: Decoding the Proto-Planetary Disc
09:40 – The Origin of Earth's Water: Asteroid Impact vs. Endogenous Theory 11:00 – Organic Delivery: Bennu and the Building Blocks of Life
13:30 – Redefining Comets: From "Dirty Snowballs" to Porous Pebbles
18:30 – The Sublimation Mechanism: Why Comets are the "Cats of Space" 21:55 – Seeking Pristine Targets: Long-Period Comets from the Oort Cloud 24:00 – Technical Shift: High-Velocity Intercepts vs. Orbiters
25:35 – 3D Mapping: Coordinating Spacecraft A, B1, and B2
26:45 – Strategic Staging: Parking at Lagrange Point 2 (L2)
30:15 – Mission Life: Waiting for the Ideal Scientific Target
32:15 – Target Identification: Leveraging the Vera Rubin Observatory (LSST) 36:20 – Open Science: Global Alerts and Follow-Up Observations
41:00 – Interstellar Priorities: Could the Interceptor have Caught ‘Oumuamua?
44:45 – The Impact Envelope: Safety Risks at 80 km/s Relative Velocity 47:30 – Academic Journey: From Classical Literature to Physics
51:30 – The Ultimate Discovery: Solving the Origin of Life on Earth

#CometInterceptor #ESA #RosettaMission #Oumuamua #OortCloud #ScienceArchive #SpaceExploration #OriginsOfLife